Hyun-Ae's POV

It's around 6:00 pm when I open the door to our small apartment and hear my mom crying.

Uh oh...This won't be good...

I take off my shoes and prepare for the worst; thinking of where my pain pills, bandaids, and emergancy leave-the-house-for-a-bit bag is as I turn at the end of the hall and look. My mother is on the ground with crushed beer cans scattered around her and dressed in a pair of jean shorts (that are way too high for any single mom to be wearing) and a crop top that exposes a little bit too much chest. Her mascara is running down, making her look like a raccoon as she wipes her eyes with her arm. 

When she sees me she starts to talk and I can already guess what it's going to be about.

Money, tabs, loan sharks, etc.

"H-h-h-hyun-Ae," She sniffles, "I need your help.." It takes about a minute for her to continue. "Some g-g-guys say that they're gonna personally come here if I don't pay my ten grand loan." She bursts into more tears and I just stand, too shocked to say anything and having a hard time processing everything she said.

"I-I-I know you got that college funds you've been saving somewhere...If you'd just let me give it to them then I promise to pay you back!" Her hopeful eyes look up to me but my mind is somewhere else.

10 ing GRAND! How the hell am I gonna pay that?!?! And what the did she use it all on?!?! I barely have 45 grand for college and even then, I don't know how I'm gonna pass all four years without getting a loan! And if I don't give anything to her I know she's gonna beat me...

"I don't have anything." I try to say convincingly.

"Liar! I see you hiding your monthly pay in your bag and returning with nothing!"

Wait... She checks my bag for money!!

"I don't have anything!!" I try and yell, but I can tell she is at her breaking point. Usually I give her the money - or what little I have - and if it's not enough then I get beat, which is quite often.

This all started a few years ago when almost everyone started leaving in my family. My father went missing after saying he was going 'shopping' and never came back. We haven't heard anything about him since the incident. My older sister found her soulmate, a man named Ethan Yeung. To keep it simple, she got pregnant and Ethan decided to marry her. 

Ethan came from an upperclass family and his family was quite disappointed to see that his soulmate was lowerclass. His family didn't want people knowing that my family were technically beggars so they, along with my sister, cut off any contact we had with them. They probably came up with a story saying that my sister, Sun-Hi, was an orphan who grew up independent or some .

Anyways, after my father and my older sister left the family, my mom became an alchoholic. She started going out to bars and clubs and sleeping with men half her age. It was also the time that she started abusing me. She only does this when I don't have enough money for her or when she's angry over some stupid little thing that's not even worth calling a big deal. I usually try to stay in her graces, but jobs with good pay are becoming harder for me to find since my credability is quite low with my background and all.

The first time she started hitting me was during sophomore year. I had a few good friends including my best friend Sehun, and a love interest who, from all the rumors, apparently had a crush on me as well.

I came home one night and my mom was with this thug looking guy. She asked for money